The present invention relates to a method of mounting a tire on a rim, and is intended for tires where either the axial distance between the beads in the vulcanizing state is considerably greater than the width of the tread and the beads can be shifted relative to the core, or where the axial distance between the beads in the vulcanizing state is approximately the same as or smaller than the width of the tread; the rim has seats for the tire beads along the inner periphery of the rim; these seats are respectively adjacent a rim flange, each of which extends radially inwardly; next to each of the rim seats is a circumferential recessed portion, the base of which has a diameter which is greater than the diameter of the rim seats.
A vehicle wheel having a tire and a rim of the aforementioned type is described, for example, in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 30 00 428. Considerable difficulties can be encountered when mounting such a tire, especially when the customary drop-center or well base of the rim of this known wheel is omitted.
The first difficulty is already encountered in trying to guide one bead of the tire over the outside of the rim. With one heretofore known method, this was carried out with the rim tilted to a certain extent, and was only possible by exerting a lot of force.
Even more difficult was the surmounting of the radially inwardly extending rim flange for introducing one tire bead on a given radially inwardly disposed bead seat of the rim. This was attempted by making the bead cores of the tire so flexible that they could be brought into a shape, the maximum diameter of which was less than the diameter formed by the rim flanges. However, such a deformation was only possible if the side walls of the tire were made particularly long. Furthermore, safety and reliability problems are present.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple method of mounting a tire on a rim in connection with a vehicle wheel of the aforementioned general type.